358 Days
by XTwoHeartsX
Summary: Axel was remembering his 358 days with Roxas in Organization XIII back then and reasoning why he must brought Roxas back to him; even it costed his own life. NO XION. MAJOR SPOILER FOR KH 358/2 DAYS & BBS.
1. Day 355

**Kingdom Hearts 358 Days**

Rating : T  
Genre : adventure/angst/tragedy  
Setting : Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days universe  
Pairing : slightly Axel/Roxas (can be count as friendship)  
Warning : shounen-ai (boy/boy), no Xion  
Disclaimer : Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix & Disney  
Summary : Axel was remembering his 358 days with Roxas in Organization XIII back then and reasoning why he must brought Roxas back to him; even it costed his own life.

**Day 355**

"Your mind's made up?"

Roxas stopped on his track, and turned his body a bit to the right, until his eyes caught the figure of his once best friend. No, he was still his best friend, just… Roxas couldn't trust him anymore. Just why did Axel always hide everything from him? For what reason? Was he the same like the rest of the Organization – just wanted to use him?

"I have to find the answer," Roxas said in forlorn voice – something Axel couldn't stand to hear. His gaze glued to the dark surface below his feet. The redhead just stood there, leaning against the wall, a few feet from the blond, but his emerald eyes were fixed on that small but strong figure. "Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know!" '_Why do I feel so much pain when I supposedly don't have a heart?'_

"You can't turn on the Organization!" Axel straightened his body and faced his best friend. Roxas glanced at him, but quickly back to the rough material where both of them stood on. That emerald orbs… were full of pain, sadness… within endless emptiness. '_It's hurt… it's so painful to talk with you, to see you like this, Axel….'_ "You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!"

'_Please don't make this any harder for me….' _"No one would miss me."

And with that, Roxas, with forced determine on his cerulean eyes, walked forward with fast steps; without waiting any answer from the neglected redhead. '_I don't want hear anything else from him… it'll make this far more difficult….'_

"That's not true!" Axel shouted, hoping his only best friend would hear him – even though the Keyblade wielder had already disappeared among the darkness. Empty hope… well, afterall all this time Axel always lived from that – empty hopes, ungranted wishes – so he didn't surprise that his hope was never attained. It still felt painful, though…. But no; he wasn't Axel if he stopped striving, so he kept trying, even maybe it was all for vain. That's his only reason to exist, afterall. "I would…."

His head was drooped, limp and desperate. His eyes were glassy; but nothing came out from it. Nobodies couldn't cry….

Axel raised his head, his cat eyes gazing through the shadows in front of him. Gloomy expression was still on his pale face – though he couldn't remember when his Somebody made this gloomy face before. Maybe hang around Roxas in quite long time would do this to a Nobody – acted like having a heart.

'_So,' _Axel thought. A sad smile curved on his lips. He closed his eyes; it stung a bit. '_Who is Roxas? Why did I do anything I've done all this time, so just he always by my side? Betraying everyone, hiding everything from Roxas himself even he deserves to know, risking my own life for him… and now, I'm determined to make him back to me. Just what is he to me? What does make him worth for all of this?'_

Axel tried to remember all of his memories with Roxas, one by one, starting from the first day he met Roxas; the day Roxas was born as a Nobody and joined the Organization….

AUTHOR NOTES

I'm sorry…! I didn't mean to abandon Fairytale, but… after reading Kingdom Hearts novel – especially the Seven Days: Axel part and Another Report: Somewhere in Time – I really have to do this! To you who haven't read it yet, I suggest you to read. It's so sad… so sad I couldn't even cry! And as a bonus, you can see Axel's way of thinking. Right, my love for Axel was increased incredibly after read it. If you want to read it but don't know where to search it, tell me and I'll tell you by PM.

So… in this story you will NEVER find Xion. So, if you are Xion fans or have dying love for the girl, please stop read this. I want to focus to Roxas, Axel, and Organization XIII without some puppet girl messing up everything. Sorry, but I really don't like her – no, not just because she breaks AkuRoku, really….

Well, the story will follow the original line but most of them will be made up from my mind, and sorry, Axel and Roxas won't be just hang around on the clock tower – really, that's cool and romantic and whatnot, but who can stand coming there every SINGLE day with the SAME ice cream? I prefer they hang around in the World That Never Was more often, and just in special ocassion they go to clock tower. Anyone who don't agree with that, well, you know what to do, right? 8)

Okay, I'll stop my rambling. Next chapter won't be this short (honestly, I kinda hate short chapters…), this is just a prologue. I will post the next chapter soon, and please review! I'll continue this story with only one review each chapter (aren't I easy?)! Oh, and my first language isn't English, so if you find any mistake, typo, anything that tick you off, please tell me! And I'll be very happy if you are willing to be my Beta! XD And, I'll apologize first, I won't update fast because of many reasons… (you can read Fairytale to find those reasons… *hint hint*)

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to review! 8D

~TwoHearts


	2. Day 1

Day 1

_The wind blows softly against my cheeks_

_The sound of leaves ruffling fills my ear gently_

_The light shines brightly into my eyes_

_So full of life… full of sensation_

_But I can feel nothing_

A teenager boy, with age around 14-15 years old, stood alone in front of a big, empty mansion. He had spiky blonde hair that swayed to his right side and a pair of sky blue eyes with pale skin. His eyes were blank, focusing onto unvisible thing just above the green grass near his foot. A flat expression was on his face, innocent but also non-living, as if wanted to say that he lacked something important inside himself – something that made him _feel_.

Whispering and buzzing sounds reached his ear; a certain smell filled his lungs. No, not smell anybody could detect by their nose; this smell could be detected just by them who had the same smell. The smell that reeked of darkness. And true, a few creatures with bodies of jet black shadow were there, approaching the boy slowly, dangerously. The boy didn't do anything, just bowed his head, still focusing his eyes to the spot above the ground blankly.

Neither of them – the boy nor the creatures – recognized a pair of lurid orange eyes peering them behind a big tree not so far from there. The eyes just blinked when the creatures jumped toward the lone boy, ready to tear off that lean body with no mercy. But suddenly a light was appeared around the boy's right hand with loud chink sound and without a bear, one of the creatures which was the nearest to the boy was halved by something unvisible, into upper and bottom part, before turning into black dust and vanishing into nothingness. The orange orbs widened a bit.

The boy was still standing on his place, his head still drooped, nothing changed from his gesture except his right hand which was lifted to his side; a glistening white blade was on his grip, beautiful with its blend of white, light blue, and yellow color as well as its complicated shape. Time was felt as if it was stopped for a while when the orange eyes caught the sight of the white blade. But the creatures never stopped attack the boy; actually it attacked him more rapidly.

Still in blank state, the boy swung his blade fastly, successfully eliminating another two of the creatures, and gave the finishing blow to the last creature. But more creatures were appearead there; now with armors and with different shapes. Three times plentier, and a few times stronger.

'_Could he cope with this…?' _the owner of the sharp orange eyes – a tall figure in black hooded coat – thought. '_Yes, he is born just now, but as the Nobody of the Keyblade bearer, he is supposedly…._'

With stronger and more conscious movement, the blond boy guarded himself by his blade from one of the soldier-like creature's attack and countered it by pushing the creature toward its' other cohorts powerfully, sending it back from him. While the creatures tried to get up, another light was formed on his left hand. Now, the figure in black coat widened their eyes widely – seemed surprised, but no expression on that eyes. Another blade, but it was black this time, was appeared on his left hand, mysteriously magnificent with its sky blue stone on its upper handle.

'_Two Keyblades…?_' the figure thought as the teenage boy readying himself, waiting the creatures attack him again. And true, the creatures stood up and attacked him again quickly. The boy whipped his white blade toward the headmost one and did the same toward other creatures behind the headmost with his black blade. His attack was very fast and powerful; even enemies kept coming, he overcomed them with expert technique and without getting any injury himself. '_Magnificent… even he is just born… so this is the true power and the real instinct of the Keyblade Hero…. Such power over the almighty weapon!_'

A lot of glowing red hearts flew away from the vanishing creatures, going up to the sky. The boy – now standing alone since all of the enemies had been eliminated by him – panted lightly. His blades still on his hands, but not so long it vanished within the light on his hands. He bowed his head once again, his expression was the pained one. He raised both of his hands – trembling softly – and looked at those blankly, as if he asked himself what did he just do. The figure observed the blond boy for a while before they decided to step out and approach the lone boy.

"You seek answers," the figure said with deep, heavy voice – now clearly the figure was a man. The boy didn't respond, just dropped his hands limply. The cloaked man stood before the blond boy, staring down to the much shorter than him. "For what purpose you have that power. For what purpose you are standing here, breathing but lacking of something inside you."

The boy nodded, but he still looked down.

"I can give you purpose," the taller man said. "I can give you a life to strive for something you missing."

The boy still didn't say anything. The cloaked man raised his hand, and four luminous letters appeared and floated in front of the boy's face. The letters were S, O, R, and A. Blue orbs raised and looked at the letters without saying anything, just hazy eyes fixed on the letters. The cloaked man waved his hand, and the letter spun around the boy fastly before stopped once again in front of the boy's eyes. Now, with an addition X letter.

"Roxas," the boy finally said, mentioning the word formed from the letters.

"That is right―the new you," the cloaked man nodded. "You will live as 'Roxas' start from this day, with the same purpose along with our other friends."

"Other friends…?" the boy – Roxas – asked softly.

"Yes… the Organization XIII."

A tall, lanky man with red hair that similar with a porcupine was standing on a corner, leaning against a wall with crossed hands in front of his chest. He wore a black coat that covered his entire body – but still showing his bony-but-toned body – giving him an aura of darkness. Upside-down tear shaped tattoos were engraved on his cheeks, right below his closed eyes. It seemed he was waiting for something.

It was so peaceful and calm evening in the Twilight Town. Well, it was always evening in that sunset town, as if the town had no time. No past, no future, everything was always the same like the present. Just like the non-existent life the red-haired man lead on…. Maybe that's why he liked this town. Nothing reminded him about his non-existance like other world where everything grew normally, not like his ungrowing body….

He raised his head, revealing his emerald, cat-like eyes when footsteps were heard near him, but he just snorted when he saw three teenagers was walking past him. Two of them were boys and the one left was a girl.

'_Just some town kids_,' the lanky man thought annoyedly. '_Where is this new kid? Xemnas told me to wait here, but I've been standing here for fuckin' two hours! Does he think since he is my superior so he can do anything as he likes―_'

Another footsteps were heard, it was more faint but for some reason was more clear for the red-haired man, cutting his silent complaint. He lifted his head once again, and this time he didn't snort, in contrary he pushed himself from the wall and started walking toward the lone figure walking from the opposite of the three teenagers came from. They – the three teenagers and the lone boy – converged in the middle of the street, but they didn't stop and only talk to each other. After the three teenagers went away, the red-haired man approached the boy and tapped his shoulder. He didn't know anything about the blonde boy, but he had the same smell with him. Darkness.

"Hey, you must be Roxas!" the red-haired man greeted, and his eyes bulged when he saw the boy's face clearly. '_This face… I knew this face since long time ago…!_' "The new member of our Organization. Number XIII, right?"

The younger boy didn't answer; just looked at the taller man with that blank blue eyes. The red-haired man was sure he had seen this face before, but it was a long, long time ago and he knew the owner of the same face had might be dead for now – or at least wouldn't be have the same face for years, and he knew, _that_ kind of person wouldn't be have a Nobody….

"Who… are you?" Roxas said softly, toneless as if he asked that question without knowing that he was asking a question. More like… an instinct. The red-haired man grinned widely.

"I'm Axel, A-X-E-L, number VIII in our Organization!" the red-haired man pointed his forehead. "Got it memorized?"

But he didn't get any answer from the silent boy but a bowed head. Axel raised an eyebrow. '_What's wrong with this kid? Xemnas said he is born just today, but his attitude is a strange one since other Nobodies aren't like this when they were first born…. Maybe he is special, since Xemnas himself went to see him. Or not 'cause now he gave him to me? Ah, who knows what that old man thinks…._'

"Hmmm… Xemnas said I have to get you, bring you back to the castle, and prepare you to be nominated as our member officially, but…," Axel scrutinized the still silent boy. '_Maybe he needs a stimulus to make him act properly. If he keeps like this, he just seems like a zombie.'_ "Hey, the day's still high! Why don't we get something for ourselves first?"

This time, Roxas lifted his head and looked at Axel's eyes – still with that blank expression. This kinda bugged Axel; that emotionless and lifeless expression really didn't fit with that face….

"Okay, follow me, newbie!" Axel gestured to Roxas to follow him, but the boy just giving him that 'zombie look' as Axel now called it. "Roxas? Do you hear me? Follow me."

Groggily, with faint hesitant, Roxas walked toward Axel who was already a few feet distant from him. Axel grinned satisfiedly, then continued walking while kept hearing for faint footsteps behind him. '_This will do. I'm not that patient with this baby step things, but… at least he knows what to do._'

It was a warm, peaceful evening. And, for the first time in his non-existant life, Axel felt something warm in his chest, where there should be a heart which he was lacking of. That was the first time Axel felt like he had a heart; funny, it felt every time he looked at that innocent face behind him, following him like a puppy following its mother.

"Try it. It's a sea-salt ice cream."

"…it's salty… but sweet…."

"I know; that's why the name is sea-salt ice cream! It's still tasty though, right?"

"…yeah…."

"Is he ready?"

Axel turned around, his eyes lazily averted toward a blue-haired man with a rather big scar crossed on his forehead. Sharp, emerald orbs crashed with the cold, gold ones, second later the gold ones turned to a silent boy stood beside Axel.

"Saïx," Axel said with flat tone. Saïx, the blue-haired man, gazed back toward the slightly taller man in front of him. Both of them wore the same clothes; a long leather black coat with hoody, a pair of black leather gloves, and black leather boots; along with the boy.

"The meeting will be started in 15 minutes," Saïx informed coldly, and he looked at the blond boy once again. "You will accompany this boy."

"Whatever," Axel scratched his back head, not too caring.

"…so this is the special Nobody," Saïx narrowed his eyes toward the boy – while the boy didn't respond at all. He just stared at the pristine white floor below him with blank eyes. It seemed he didn't realize that the two guys talking about him. "The one who can wield the Keyblade."

"Really?" Axel raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at the blond again. Innocent face, scrawny body… this small boy was the Keyblade Hero? "Hey… why is he like this? He doesn't respond almost at everything, his face is blank… if he like this he has no different with a zombie."

"He is just born," the blue-haired man answered shortly. "He will become normal eventually."

"Hmm," Axel hummed, eyeing Roxas. If that's the reason… then was he like that too when he was first born? He couldn't remember…. Besides, it was a long time ago.

"We better go to the round room now," Saïx said as he turned away. "Superior wouldn't be too pleased if we're late."

Saïx walked away without waiting for respond, vanishing into a dark purple fog swirling thickly on the white wall of the castle, and the fog disappeared shortly. Axel sighed, and turned toward the boy – still in the same state, blank and unresponsive. It was the first day Roxas came to the Organization as the Number XIII, the Key of Destiny, completing the Organization XIII.


	3. Day 2

I forgot to say that this story will be a major spoiler for 358/2 Days and a bit from Birth By Sleep! I'm so sorry! So, if you don't want to spoil yourself, please don't read this story!

* * *

**Day 2**

_You gotta figure_

_everything starts somplace_

_The closest thing for me is_

_when I was just seven days old_

_and I realized of my beings_

"Where's that new kid?"

Saïx lifted his gaze from a thin wooden board in his hand with a paper full of printed words there. A list of names – exactly 10 names – with some descriptions on the right part beside each names. Axel glanced to the 6th name and grimaced a little when he saw the long description was written beside it. Oh well, another hard mission for him.

"Good morning to you too, Axel," Saïx said flatly, and he shifted his golden eyes back to the white paper with black letters on it again. "Today you have a mission to the Twilight Town and eliminate a giant heartless. You are paired with Demyx."

'_Why do I always get the icky jobs? And I know that lazy ass won't be any help…_,' Axel grumbled mentally as he heard a very familiar sound of thrummed notes from a sitar coming from behind him. "You heard me. Where's Roxas?"

Saïx once again looked at the redhead, giving him a disapprove glare. Axel didn't react; no, he wouldn't go before he got what he wanted, even Saïx warned him with that silent warning of him. Funny that Saïx always grunted about when would the Kingdom Hearts give him a heart when he could threaten others with just his eyes.

"Number XIII is still in unconscious state," finally the scarred man answered. Axel laughed triumphantly in his head, knowing Saïx would never win from him. In manipulating things, at least. "Maybe right now he is still resting in his room. Superior said he can't be given any mission yet."

Axel remembered how Roxas was yesterday. He brought the younger male to the round room, accompanied him through the ceremony – where Xemnas welcomed him as the newest member of the Organization XIII – standing on the middle of the round table among the high thrones of the other members. Every members stared at him, scrutinized him, but he remained silent and ignored all of them – even before that scary orange eyes. Well, Axel hoped he could be blissfully ignorant like that with Xemnas staring creepily to him. He could never get used to that pair of inhumanly eyes. Not that he was a human, though.

"So he is still in his zombie period?" Axel asked without waiting any answer. He scratched his head. "Oh well. I'll just go to my mission." He turned his body toward the room – a spacious room with grey wall and floor just like its name, the Grey Room. Inside the room there were a few white couches – six long couches to be exact that separated into two parts with three on the right side and another three on the left side – with a short table surrounded by the couches. A way to the room was on the middle of one side of wall with a large window across of it, giving the pitch black scene outside of the thick glasses. The room was like a lobby, and usually as a place where the Nobodies hung around when they were in the castle and didn't do any mission.

On one couch on the right part, there was a dirty blond guy with a big purplish blue sitar sitting as strumming his sitar happily. His face – young and quite attractive – was stained by a rather idiotic smile. Axel sighed. How could he get in there in the first place, anyway? Axel couldn't believe the one who brought Demyx here was Zexion. Where did the Cloaked Schemer find this klutz again? Atoll? Atelier? Atlanta? Something along with that, and that place was underwater. Axel didn't even want to know why that book nerdy reached that kind of place.

"Oi, Demyx!" he called, and the said one immediately lifted his head toward the redhead. "We've got a mission together! Ready to go now?"

"Uhh…," was the intelligent answer from Demyx. He didn't like to fight; let alone fight a huge Heartless. He preferred playing his Arpeggio all day to fighting and sweating, and maybe getting some wound here and there. Really a big no-no. And that radiating heat from the fire user… well, Demyx wasn't too fond of something hot. "Okay?"

"Then get that lazy ass of yours here and we're going," Axel raised his right hand, forming a dark portal beside him. The faster, the better. He was planning to get over with this mission quickly and get know the new kid. Right, he was downright interested with the Keyblade wielder, so what?

"Ooookayy…," begrudgingly, Demyx stood up and walked toward the portal slowly. Axel, with a raised eyebrow, stared at him walking to the portal, and when the dirty blond glanced toward him with reluctant expression, Axel kicked him on the butt so he got into the portal and quickly got into it himself, ignoring the trail of Xigbar's laugh behind.

The smooth surface was white, with tinge of grey on a few places on more hidden place, where the light couldn't reach it. It was strange; so white, so pristine and clean, yet so cold and empty. Roxas couldn't remember where he got this, but he thought something along with white, light, something shining was warm and endearing. Though he didn't know what warm and endearing was. Or cold and empty in that case. He just thought of it.

He was lying on his bed, didn't move at all since a few hours ago when he was awakened. He only opened his sky blue eyes, empty and glassy, focused on nothing. His stare was on the ceiling of his empty white room. He couldn't think, couldn't feel, couldn't realize his own existence. The complete silence and unchanged dark sky outside of his open window gave him sort of eternity – nothing marked any change. Even it was, Roxas wouldn't know, afterall. He was numb; just occasional blinking on his eyes and steady up and down movement on his chest telling he was alive.

Roxas couldn't remember why he was there, or even how he got there. It was pitch black if he tried to think or remember something. He vaguely knew something happened, but when he remembered the slightest moment happened before, second later it would be vanished again from his mind. He was like a breathing doll.

"You can at least go outside if you're already awake, you know."

Roxas didn't move, just blinked and squinted to his right, toward the white door on one side of the wall in his room. A tall redhead with same cloak as one he was wearing now – who was this person? Roxas tried to get this person's name, but he failed.

"Or do you sleep with open eyes?" the redhead guy approached Roxas with smirk. Roxas had seen that smile somewhere before…. "But you couldn't be squinting at me if you're asleep, right?"

Slight dent on his bed's lower part. The tall – and very lanky – redhead was sitting there. His emerald eyes never left Roxas' blue ones. He frowned to see the emptiness in Roxas' eyes, and the smirk was died down.

"So you're really still in that state, huh…?" he said, a bit of sad tone in that tuny voice. He crossed his (lanky) arms on his chest, thinking. "Saïx said maybe you can't even remember yesterday's happenings…." The tall man turned his gaze back to Roxas. "Can you? Do you remember my name?"

The silent answer was enough for him. He sighed loudly as he scratched his head.

"This is kinda unnerving, but…," he grinned a little to the silent Nobody, not demanding for any respond. "My name is Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" Axel went silent for a while, then chuckled at himself. "Maybe it's futile to ask that to you this time. But I won't stop telling you that until you got my name memorized into that blonde head of yours, got it memorized?"

Axel chuckled again when all he got was an innocent wink. He grabbed Roxas' one hand and pulled the younger male until he sat straight on his bed.

"Well, that's unhealthy being lazy," Axel said as he stood up, and pulled the blond boy once again so now Roxas was standing beside him. Roxas didn't say anything or give any reaction through the process, just following Axel's tugging. "Since you're a new kid and whatnot, I'll being kind and give you some tour in this World That Never Was! Great idea, don't you think? I finished my mission fast just because I want to give this tour to you, even I have to do that Sitar asshole's part of the job!" He grinned widely toward the small Nobody. "So, are you ready?"

Roxas just raised his head, staring blankly right into Axel's emerald eyes. Happy with that small respond, Axel punched Roxas' shoulder a bit too hard until the shorter one stumbled.

"That's the spirit!" he said, and then he walked out of the room, with Roxas following him. "Let's go!"

* * *

"So, this is our beloved dwelling, the World That Never Was."

Roxas stared at the almost pitch black before him. He was standing on the middle of a large road, with tall buildings on the side of the road, all of them were black in color, with dark grey in a few places. From the buildings, there were many windows with bright yellow and orange light, illuminating the street with the bright reflection with shapes of the window.

"Kinda shoddy name, huh?" Axel snorted a bit beside him, and he started walking down the street. Roxas followed him. It was good that he followed Axel without being told every now and then like the day before. "But it's fitting for us, since from the start we're not exist. Maybe just like this place."

They walked through the empty street with silence. The sound of their boots met the hard surface below them filling the utter silence around them. No, Axel didn't like the silence at all. That just made him could hear the non-existing beating in his chest, and that's reminded him of being without heart.

"No one lives in this place except for us, the Organization XIII, and the lesser Nobodies. Well, maybe with some Heartless occasionally," Axel spoke up, couldn't stand anymore silence. He waved to his side. "And all of these buildings… no one lives there, or owns those. If you're bored with the castle, you can go to one of these buildings and sleep there." Axel chuckled to his own joke. "Sometimes the castle can be very unnerving too."

They kept walking until Axel stopped himself, followed by Roxas. The small Nobody raised his head toward the much taller male, giving him an almost curious stare, as if he asked why the redhead stopped. Axel stared toward his front.

There was a big vacant hall in front of them, with a very tall and big building stood there gloriously. There was a glassy door on the front after a short but big stairs, as the front gate of the building, giving bright yellow light from inside. A bright blue star shaped lamp was above the front gate, with many other decoration lamps on the sides. Above the decoration lamps, many windows were arranged on the building, until the top end. On the very top of the building, many various sized monitors were there, buzzing with blue, green, and yellow lights. It was a great building, and Roxas couldn't stop staring at the piled monitors above, even it strained his neck.

"This is the Memory Skyscraper," Axel explained with low voice. "Approach that big stony material, and all of your memories will be showed to the world through that monitors."

Memory…? Roxas perked up to that word. Without any word, or knowledge why he did that, Roxas walked toward the Memory Skycraper with eyes still glued to the huge monitors.

"What the―" Axel was shocked when the blond walked without any hesitation toward the skyscraper, and quickly reached out the blond. "No, Roxas! You can't―"

But it's too late. Roxas' eyes widened as the monitor started to buzz wildly, and the mixed colors there starting to form a recognizable shape…. Exactly two figures of a boy and a girl. Immediately after he saw the silver haired boy with cocky smirk and the maroon haired girl with gentle smile, a small tear slide down on his cheek, and the screen went into plain buzzing once again.

"Roxas―"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

It was really a painful and sorrow scream – maybe the most sad and painful scream Axel ever heard in his life. How could a Nobody screaming something with so much emotion in it like that? And crying… that's an impossible thing to do for Nobodies. But that's not the important thing now – Roxas kneed on his place, hands clutching his golden locks hard, holding it for his life. Pained expression, with tears streaming down his pale face, was still on his face, with that hoarse scream still went out from his mouth.

'_This has to be stopped_,' Axel immediately ran toward the curled blond, trying to assure the small Nobody, but right when Axel arrived on Roxas' side, the latter stopped screaming and limply fell to the hard ground. Axel quickly caught the limp body, preventing it to collide with the dark ground. '_What happened…? Why did he react like that when he saw that two people? I'm sure it's from his Somebody's memory, but… what happened so he reacted that way…?_'

Axel continued staring at the wet, smooth face that had gone asleep after that epic screaming, so the redhead didn't realize the screen above them had showed something different this time. It was a beautiful park with many flowers and two figures there; one was a teen boy with long blue hair, another was a blond boy with spiky hair and sky blue eyes, smiling toward the screen….

* * *

"What happened with the kid?"

Axel raised his head so he was face on face with the older man with an eyepatch on his right eye and a rather big scar on his left cheek. They stared toward each other for a while; emerald met gold ones.

"Got fainted on the way," Axel replied shortly, then looked at the blond he carried in his arms. The tears on Roxas' face had dried, but there was still a few small drop of water lodged on that thick eyelashes. The older man raised an eyebrow, demanding more explanation, but Axel gave no more attention to him. This brought a smirk on the older man's face.

"You care a lot for a mere newbie," he commented, stopping Axel on his track effectively toward a door with 'XIII' letters fixed on it. "That's not like you."

"What are you trying to say, Xigbar?" Axel narrowed his eyes as he looked at II through his shoulder. "Be fast, I don't have all the time in the world."

"Hey, that's no way to talk with your superior!" Xigbar exclaimed, but an amused grin was on his face. "Well, you know, there's once when I was my Somebody, a boy sneaked into the castle of Radiant Garden…."

Axel went a bit stiff hearing this, but he hid it well. He didn't give the respond Xigbar wanted, instead he asked,"And so?"

"…nothing," Xigbar shrugged, a flat expression on his face. "Just continue your journey to fawn over that kid. I have some business to take care."

And with that, Xigbar made a portal and quickly vanished inside it. Axel snorted.

"That old bastard…."

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Another day of Roxas' life in the Organization. This day I made up completely, and I gave hints here and there about Axel's memories of Ventus. I think Axel is attracted toward Roxas because he was very similar with Ventus, but he was friends with Roxas because of Roxas himself. And no, in this story, actually Lea and Braig didn't know each other at all and that Ventus met both of them (I don't know the real plot in BBS since I haven't played it yet), but Xigbar was curious to see why Axel was so caring about Roxas, so he jumped to the conclusion that Axel's Somebody knew Ventus. But of course Axel didn't want to give that information to his superior~!

So, how is the story? Do the made up parts are fitting with them? Tell me what you think, and scold me to update fast! I really love the reviews~! Or even flames. Whatever, give me some feedbacks and I'll continue. No one give me review, than this story ends here. So, pwetty pwease~? XD

Reviews:

Flightfoot : Wow, thanks for the review! And thanks for reminded me about spoiler things; now I've added that as a warning! Yes, I spoiled myself since I won't get PSP anytime soon as well… (it's sad, isn't it…? I really, really want to play as Ventus…) And yes, I'll add many things since there will be no Xion, and that means a lot, really. So you've read it! The stories are great, aren't it? And yes, that's where I read it, along with a few others too. Thanks for reading and double thanks for the review! Please keep reading! ^^

NinjaSheik : Thank you! Please keep reading~! ^^

Superkawaiifreak : C'mon, everything involved with Axel and Roxas (and whole Organization XIII, actually) is definitely bittersweet! XD Nostalgic as in KH2 or KH 358/2 Days…? Check your inbox, k? ^^ Thanks for reading and review! Please keep reading! 8D


	4. Day 3

Finally, the long awaited review has come! So I present you the 4th chapter~

Day 3

"How is he?"

Saïx lifted his head toward the highest throne in the room. It wasn't like a room; no wall as a divider and no floor down there – everything was unlimited. It was still a mystery how a room like that could be resided inside the Castle That Never Was. Maybe because of its' all-white color that made the room seemed unlimited. Too much light – it never went well with a Nobody like him. But who could tell what the Superior thinking?

"He is still in unconscious state, Superior," the bluenette answered flatly as usual. No emotion like a perfect Nobody. "It seems he couldn't even remember yesterday's happening."

"I know," the hooded figure that was sitting on the throne beside the tallest one spoke up. Everyone on that room wore the hood, except Saïx. But, even he couldn't see their faces, he remembered each of them perfectly. They are the six Nobodies with highest ranks, also known as the six founder of the organization…. "I saw Kiddo was brought back by Axel. Seemed he fainted immediately."

"Then he would have no use for us!" another voice, coming from a hooded figure besides the last speaking figure, this time it was higher pitch voice. A bit annoying, Saïx would say if he could be annoyed. Well, he didn't need a heart to say this particular Nobody was annoying. Always rambling about ranks and whatnot…. "Is he really the Nobody of Keyblade Hero?"

"Calm down, Vexen," the figure on other side of the tallest throne said. "Everything has the time." The figure nodded. "To complete something until the fullest, you have to wait patiently."

"What a slow way, Xaldin!" Vexen retorted as he waved his hand impatiently. "Kingdom Hearts won't be completed at this rate!"

"Do you suspect Xemnas' chosen?" the second speaker asked with amused tone. "Usually you never one to be rude over your Superiors, Vexen."

"I just…!" Vexen was lost his words. He threw his face to other direction with small sound of clicking tongue.

"So," the figure on Vexen's other side turned toward Saïx. "What could be the reason of XIII's behavior?"

"It seems he lost his memories," Saïx answered. "So right now he is like a lesser Nobody with human form. Maybe eventually he will regain his memories and behave like us."

"Isn't it better he doesn't have his memories?" the big figure on Saïx' side said. "Won't he oppose us if he regains his memories? It would be normal since he is the Nobody of Keyblade Wielder."

"He shall not regain his memories."

All Nobodies in that room lifted their gaze toward the tallest throne. The figure didn't move or anything, just looked down to other Nobodies.

"It would make difficult to us if he regained his memories, therefore we have to prevent it from happening," the figure continued to talk. "Guide him to be one of us, teach him how to collect hearts, but prevent him to be a human."

With that, the figure disappeared into a dark portal, left the rest of Nobodies there and a big unanswered question in their mind.

"'To be a human'?" Vexen repeated with confused tone. "What does he mean? XIII is the same like us, right? Nonexist – he won't be a human whatever he does!"

"Who knows?" the hooded figure on the second tallest throne said. "He is the Nobody of Keyblade Wielder, afterall!"

"I suggest we dismissed today's meeting for now," Saïx spoke finally. "We have to do the missions for today."

Saïx created a portal around himself to dismiss himself from the room, but he still could hear Xaldin's voice faintly.

"'We'? It's us! You never do the missions; just like our Superior!"

The scarred man did the rare thing – he smirked.

"You lose."

Axel squinted to his left, toward the couches across from where he was sitting. A man with platinum blond hair smirked widely as he shuffled a deck of card in his hands skillfully. A much younger man in front of him scratched his mullet hair with depressed manner.

"Aw, man! This is totally unfair!" he whined. "You're always winning! Can't you let me win just for once?"

"That's impossible," the older man said with amusement. "I never lose."

Axel snorted and back to stare at the grayish wall across from him, letting his mind wandering once again. The superiors was holding a meeting – including Saïx even he wasn't the six first – so the missions were delayed for today, giving Axel some time to think – more likely to daydreaming. His thought went to a certain Nobody that wasn't in that room.

'_Has he woken up yet?'_ the redhead asked himself, not caring when a blond woman with antennae-like bangs sat on a couch in front of him and gave him a strange look. '_I wonder… has he gotten my name memorized right now? Or is he still in that zombie―_'

"It's rare to see you like this, Axel."

That snapped Axel from his reverie effectively. Pissed off, Axel glared toward the figures in front of him. Now a light pinkish-brown long haired man was also sitting beside the blond woman, giving him a knowing smirk. "The rookie can't get out from your head?" This time the blond woman teased him.

"Shut up, Larxene," Axel said with uninterested tone. He lied back on the couch, his emerald eyes bored the white ceiling up there. "Mind your own business."

"It's natural to be interested to the newbie, I may say," the man added. "He wields the Keyblade, the greatest weapon in the worlds, right?"

Axel turned his look back toward the smiling man, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. "What are you planning, Marluxia?"

Axel knew from the very first Xigbar brought this assassin-titled Nobody to the castle, Marluxia had this… suspicious aura. From how his greenish-blue eyes narrowed each time Xemnas talking in their meetings or how he always unconsciously mumbled about 'power' and 'plans' loudly, Axel could tell Marluxia had something in his mind. And contrary from his 'graceful' manner, it must be something bad. Looked like Saïx already knew about this and doing some planning as well. Too much tricky things in this castle – somehow Axel hated it. Maybe that's why he better be around the – too – innocent newbie.

"Nothing, nothing," Marluxia laughed. "Just… you know, I want to see that great power with my own eyes. It makes you wonder, this 'greatest' thing is."

'_Your way of thinking much more makes me wonder_,' Axel retorted inside his mind, but didn't speak it aloud. "Whatever. He still can't use his Keyblade yet right now."

"I can't wait to see his power," the Graceful Assassin said. Again with power – what's with people in this castle and power? Even his former best friend….

A portal was opened on the middle of the room, and a blue-haired Nobody stepped out from the purplish black fog. That golden eyes landed on Axel's emerald ones for a second before went to other directions.

"I have prepared the missions for today," Saïx said, inviting all attentions in the room as other five first Nobodies entered the room from the entrance. "Please come here so I can give you the specification of your missions."

'_I got this thought that today will be a boring one_,' Axel thought as he stood from his couch lazily and walked toward his ex-best friend. He didn't want to laugh when he saw the platinum blond man dragged the mullet one from the couch to approach Saïx. And true, he didn't even want to smile when he realized that the Number XIII didn't wake up for the rest of the day.

So... sorry for the long update! I'll blame to exams, but especially I was waiting for review. C'mon, it feels useless to continue a story without someone review it, right? So... you get the picture! 8D

And, I want to apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I know this chapter is boring and almost pointless, but this is just linking chapter and how the members will move (like Xemnas won't let Roxas regain his memory, Saix behaves like a Superior, and Marluxia starts his plan), and how labile Roxas is in this time. So, actually this is not so pointless... I think.

So, as the usual deal! I'll update with price minimal one review! It's cheap, really! 8D

Review:

Hikarikuro13-san: Thanks for the review~ No, I won't abandon this story, I was just waiting for someone that concerned enough to review! 8D Please keep reading~ (&review?) ^^


	5. Day 4

**Day 4

* * *

**

"Sleeping for two days is enough, I think."

As if it was automatic, Roxas' eyes were snapped open when he heard that voice. Familiar voice, but he didn't know whose voice it was. He just remembered something red, very red, and clear emerald orbs. What were those, Roxas didn't know. He wanted to know – it seemed it was something important – but he just couldn't.

"Well, I see your eyes have opened. But, have you awakened yet?" Sound of approaching steps. A shadow fell over his body, and Roxas could see that red and green he searching for; in shape of a guy's hair and eyes. So, the voice belong to this person…. That face frowned in disappointed manner. "I see you haven't."

'_Haven't? What does he mean by that?' _Roxas asked himself as he eyed the other male in the white room with blank gaze. An awkward silence errupted. The tall guy scratched his head.

"I think I have to introduce myself again, huh…?" he grimaced. "Man, this is getting old…." He pointed to his forehead and grinned to Roxas. "The name is Axel, A-X-E-L. Hope you got it memorized this time, kid."

"…Axel," Roxas mumbled, his voice a bit cracky. Axel raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"You talk now!" he exclaimed, pleased. He grabbed the smaller boy's hand and pulled him from the bed. "That's a development! Being the first time you said my name and all, you know."

"…you know me?" Roxas said, still in flat voice, almost didn't sound like asking. Axel laughed.

"Of course I know you! I'm always here in these four days! Okay, maybe yesterday isn't counted since you passed out all the day, but still!" Axel tapped Roxas' back a bit hard but still in friendly term. "…maybe I've known you longer than that…."

"What?" Roxas looked up to the taller man, but the latter just shook his head with smile.

"What to do for today, then?" Axel inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with oxygen as he thinking. "I haven't showed you yet all the Dark City… this is our home, you have to know this place well, of course. Just don't approach the Memory Skyscraper anymore, you hear me?"

Roxas nodded even he didn't know what Memory Skyscraper was. Or Dark City in that case. He would know it eventually since Axel said he would show it to him, anyway, so that's not a problem. Axel grinned widely and walked out from the room.

"What are you waiting for, then? Let's moving!"

* * *

Everything was jet black. The only source of light was from the tall buildings around them – with many windows that showed reflection of light from inside the buildings. Even the sky was just dark grey with occasional flash here and there. Roxas saw his surroundings with blank face; his cerulean eyes still without any emotion. Even the fake ones.

"So dark… just like our existence," Axel muttered darkly next to him. They were sitting on top of one of the tall building, above a wide, smooth street that surrounded by tall buildings that similar with the one where they sitting at. So quiet; just the sound of thunder was heard – distance and weak. Almost it didn't exist…. Axel snorted. "Though, we're still cool enough. Strong, independent, and not aging! Who won't envy us? Just… lack of emotion. Lacking of somehing that make us 'human'. Heh."

Roxas didn't respond. Axel didn't expect one too; he just knew Roxas listened and that's enough. His eyes went to the tallest building that a bit far away from their position; the Memory Skyscraper. Axel really didn't let him go to the tower even just for a while. Roxas wondered why, but a sceond later he forgot it. His mind couldn't keep thinking too long.

"Roxas, I wonder…," Axel said with soft voice. He looked at his new comrade with sad expression. "Why do we exist on first place? Well, we don't exist, but… we're here; breathing, talking, thinking… but we don't exist. Still, we're trying to get a heart for us, so we can truly exist. But can we, inexisted beings, hope for something? Human live by hoping; without hope no one will live. But we; we're not human. Can we hope?"

Silent response. Axel smiled, sighing wearily.

"It's futile to ask you now. My bad, my bad―"

"We can," it was an unexpected response. Axel widened his eyes; he almost believed that he could feel the genuine surprise – and relieve. Almost. "Don't ask. Just do it."

Axel wasn't sure Roxas knew what he just said, but he liked it. "True enough."

They continued to sit in comfortable silence like that for awhile, enjoying the rare peace.

"Not as beautiful as Twilight Town," Axel commented. "And no ice cream here. But not too bad; as long as it doesn't remind me about our non-existence…."

"We exist," Roxas said suddenly. "I can see myself, and I can see you, so I think we are existed."

"Sometimes eyes deceive us, give us perfect lies…," Axel said, drooped his head. He looked at his curled fist. "Weeell, I'm not usually a pessimist, just… this is the first time I can say what I think directly, so… you know."

Roxas nodded. Axel smiled, then ruffled the blond hair gently. It's warm….

"Time to go back to the castle, I think!" Axel exclaimed as he stood up and stretched his body. "Saïx won't let me get some Z's if I don't hurry do the mission for today…. What a pain." He turned to Roxas. "Let's go!"

* * *

"So you have decided to finally show your face here."

Axel snorted at the flat comment coming out from his blue-haired comrade. Roxas didn't respond or move at all, just sat in silent at one of the couch where Axel told him to sit at before while Axel met Saïx.

"Just give the mission already," he said nonchalantly. Saïx eyed him for a while before telling Axel his mission. Without any words or good byes, Axel summoned a portal and went through it, not bothering to look at the blue-haired man or replying the blond boy's empty gaze.

Silent. Everything was so quiet there – a large grey room with just two occupants there, saying nothing at all. Roxas was staring at nothing but his own lap, while Saïx was looking at anything but Roxas. No, Saïx wasn't hostile toward the Keyblade Wielder – no at all, maybe he could even help him in th future – but recently… even it was just four days, Axel showed so many peculiar things – like giving too much attention than needed to the newbie. Saïx didn't dislike it – he _couldn't _dislike anything – but he knew something annoying gnawing in his stomach whenever Axel showed his concern toward Roxas.

Another hour passed by silently until a portal appeared near Saïx. Roxas perked up; more like a spontant movement than a purposed will, as if the portal was related with something he wanted. But he slumped – automatically – when he saw a person he didn't know – or he thought he didn't know – stepped out from it. No fiery red mane or emerald eyes, just black hair with gray streaks and a yellow eye while the other one was covered with an eyepatch. Roxas didn't spend too much time to pay attention at the older Nobody – but that didn't work dual way. The latter did pay attention toward the blond Nobody – smirking, then approaching the lone figure on the couch.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted Roxas casually, ignoring Saïx' sharp stares. He sat next to Roxas, but earned nothing from the younger one. "Do you know me?"

Xigbar, once again, got nothing. It seemed Roxas wouldn't respond toward anyone except Axel. He cringed; just like older days, he would never get the attention from the boy… even when he challenged him. Why? Was it because Xigbar was not good enough? Or….

"It's impolite not to see at people who talk to you," he said again, now earning a look from the other boy. Xigbar grinned, satisfied even a bit sinister on his look. "That's good boy. Now, Roxas. I'm Xigbar, number II." He looked into Roxas' empty eyes, then raised an eyebrow. "…I see it's futile to introduce myself to you in this kind of state. As if you will hear me, heh." He smirked, especially toward himself. "Anyway; kiddo, welcome to our organization. I never thought we will fight at each other side, though. Since the first time, you're always the exact opposite of me… hope we can get along in the future, eh?"

Xigbar hit Roxas' back hard – hard enough to make Roxas choked on his own saliva – with a loud laugh, then stood up, and with a final meaningful grin toward the choking blond, Xigbar walked away from the Grey Room, giving Zexion – who was walking into the hall – a salute. Zexion eyed Roxas – already cured from the choking – for a while as he walked toward the blue-haired Nobody at the middle part in front of the large window.

"Superior wishes you to come to his office," he said flatly when he was in front of his subordinate, looking up for a bit since Saïx was – sadly – taller than him despite his superiority over said subordinate. "And he asked me to get all of yesterday's reports from you."

The golden-eyed man nodded and gave a bundle of papers in his hold to the shorter Nobody silently, and without as much as asking permission or such, he walked pass Zexion out from the quiet room. Zexion, clearly offended and disliked the indelicacy, raised an eyebrow irritably – something he remembered well from his Somebody – but didn't say anything. He just looked at another figure in the room.

"I will expect better from you, Number XIII," he said calmly despite the coldness in his voice – which showed his vexation, but of course Roxas couldn't tell all of this – while his deep azure eyes scrutinized the younger Nobody. He said nothing more though, knowing Roxas wouldn't get anything in this empty state. Well, he could teach Roxas more when he was ready, anyway. No use to waste his energy on a still-empty body of a Nobody.

It was quiet for the rest of the day – or night, no one could really tell with dark sky always drifted outside – and no one else walked into the Grey Room, leaving Roxas all alone, sitting quietly without any movement other than breathing and occasional blinking, while all memories from before – Axel's name, his conversation with the redhead, Xigbar's name, and even Zexion's statement toward him – dissipated into the deepest part of his mind, once again making Roxas forgot about everything while he was sitting there through the night. 


	6. Day 5

Day 5

Sleep was no longer a necessary activity for Saïx, unlike his Somebody. Usually he spent the night by looking at the heart-shaped moon – Kingdom Hearts. The rest of the members still didn't know about Kingdom Hearts. Xemnas only told him – was it proving that Xemnas only trusted him? Not sure whether a Nobody could trust others, though. No heart in it.

Just like the usual routine, Saïx went to the Grey Room before the others did, waiting for them to give missions. Usually he discussed the reports from other members with his Superior the night before and arranged next missions at once so he didn't have to meet Xemnas on the morning. Or, since there was no morning in The World That Never Was, on the new day's prior.

But that day, Saïx found something unusual; someone beat him by their early arrival in the room. His golden eyes widened seeing a head with golden strands of hair and a pair of sapphire eyes, emptiness in the blue depth.

'_Roxas…?_' the Luna Diviner said to himself, wondering silently. '_Why is he already here this early…?_'

Not liking the change of the usual routine, Saïx faced it with another usual behavior; he approached the lone Nobody. Roxas was sitting silently on one of the white couch, face with no expression like usual. His body was leaning on the couch limply, his hands sprawled on his lap.

"XIII," he called when he arrived right in front of the sitting Nobody. The said Nobody didn't even budge, bringing fake anger to the older Nobody. "XIII!"

"Huh…?" Roxas lifted his head groggily while his eyes slowly directed toward Saïx's golden eyes. Immediately the older man blamed himself to be such an idiot to be annoyed with the still not awakened boy.

"…I see, still in that state," Saïx snorted, the almost anger vanished in no time. "I assume you will not know the answer as to why you are sitting here this early alone." The blank stare that given to him was a good enough answer. "…don't tell me you have been sitting here through the night?"

"…through the night…," was Roxas's reply. The Luna Diviner raised his eyebrow, not really expecting to get an answer. The newest member was like a newborn baby – blank almost all the time, never talked, never did something by his own wants, and now he started talking by imitating Saïx.

"…well, it is not like you are useful right now," the older Nobody shook his head slowly. "You do know your own room, don't you? Just go to your room, take a rest."

It needed a few minutes for Roxas to respond the command, and finally he stood from his couch, slowly walking to the Grey Room's door to the outside. The blue haired Nobody snorted after Roxas disappeared behind the greyish white wall, then walked to his usual spot where he waiting for the other members to give their missions of the day, repeating his daily routine without any deviation anymore.

He didn't like it; deviating from the usual routine. Like how his existence was a really big and abnormal deviation to the world. He didn't like it at all. If he could like something, that is.

* * *

"Hey, Axel!"

Axel groaned silently, cursing his unluckiness. First, he came back from his mission yesterday with not-so-little bruises on his body (curse that big ass Trickmaster!) at late night. Then, not so long after he could lay his worn body on his bed, he woke to Demyx's loud sitar playing – it's not he didn't appreciate music. It's just he really needed solitude so he could sleep peacefully. And now, the last person – err, nonperson – he would want to meet was approaching him. For all of that good, what's wrong with these unlucky event series?

"Hey… Larxene," the fire user forced a smile on his face as a hand found its happy place on his bruised shoulder. Ouch. "What's up?"

"Nothing!" the blond woman with antennae-like bangs shrugged, but her rosy lips were curved perfectly. She was pretty, with her big light viridian eyes and dark, thick lashes surrounded it so the green was brought out perfectly. Her skin was porcelain-like pale, but healthy blushes were on her cheeks. Really, she was pretty, but…. "Just it has been a while since the last time we talking like this."

'_Do you mean try to flirt with me?_' Axel tried hard to hold his snort. The woman acted careless toward him in front of everyone, but she always got close to him when there was no one else around them. "Really? I thought we talked yesterday…."

"Telling me to stay aside from your way isn't talking, Axel!" Larxene snapped. Axel was grateful he didn't have to deal with Larxene's Somebody. Even after she had no emotion she could get mad real fast, how if she had emotion? No, Axel didn't want to imagine it. "Besides, you're always with that kid all the time…."

"Well, Xemnas told me to watch him," the Flurry of Dancing Flame shrugged nonchalantly. They walked together through the Hall of Empty Melody, bringing the echo of their steps. A few Dusks swaying pass them, to the opposite direction from the two special Nobodies. "He will turn me into some of those kinds if I don't do his command properly."

"That doesn't mean to be on his side all the time!" the shorter woman whined. "You don't have to―"

"He isn't awakened yet, Larxene," Axel cut her off. "If I didn't watch him closely, we wouldn't know what will happen to him."

"Whatever," the blond snapped, then stomping faster and leaving Axel behind, disappearing into the Grey Room first. Axel was relieved that the other Nobody left him; so now he could worry over the other one. He didn't surprise not seeing his target in the Grey Room – Axel always had to pick the Number XIII up from his room from the first day anyway – so he turned around to go to the room with silver 'XIII' on it. But he was surprised this time, when he didn't see any teenage boy with blond locks anywhere inside the plain room.

"Saïx! Roxas isn't in his room!"

This earned a few looks from the Nobodies in the gathering hall. Xaldin raised his head while his arms remained crossed in front of his chest. Vexen stopped talking with Lexaeus on one of the couches. Larxene looked up from her book, but after a snort she went back to the page she left. The last, a pair of golden eyes piercing the panic jade eyes.

"What are you talking about, Axel?" Saïx asked calmly, nothing waver his emotionless state. "I told him to rest in his room not long ago."

"…what?" Axel frowned. Roxas had been already there before him? He could get up and walk by himself from his room to the Grey Room?

"It seems he didn't go back to his room last night," the Luna Diviner explained, still emotionless. "I found him sitting alone earlier this morning, so I thought he didn't move from his place from yesterday."

"YOU LET HIM SIT ALL NIGHT HERE?"

That was unexpected. Axel wasn't totally emotionless like Saïx, but seeing him screaming in panic like this was not like him as well.

"What do you expect me to do, VIII?" the scarred man frowned in fretful state. "I'm not his babysitter, checking him whether he has slept or not."

"But you know how he is in such condition!" the Number VIII snapped. "And you told him to go back to his room alone?"

"I don't see―"

But Axel didn't wait for Saïx finishing his sentences. He already made a portal behind him, and turned around to enter the portal quickly. The other Nobodies could only stare at the whole incident, couldn't think what to say or what to do.

Another deviation, another Saïx's dislike on that day.

Somehow, the Keyblade wielder was the source of his dislikes these days.

* * *

Not understand what to do, not understand what was doing. All Roxas knew was, the dark creatures were after him, and without any purpose, a key-shaped blade was appeared on his hand, and the next thing he knew that he swung the blade toward the creatures in swift movements.

Everything was dark – not white and gray like in the castle – and Roxas didn't know how he was ended up there. All he knew was the blue haired man told him to go to his room, but the young blond didn't know where his room was. When he tried to think where this room was, a black-purple vortex of fog was in front of him. Not really knowing what to do, he stepped into it, and then he was here.

_Why am I here?_

A fast blow to the right, one of the dark creature vanished into a wisp of dark fog.

_What am I doing?_

Jump as strong as possible, throw the blade toward the mass of the creatures.

_Who am I…?_

"ROXAS!"

A huge fire destroyed all of the rest of the creatures, leaving Roxas alone with a large wisp of dark fog. Roxas stepped on the ground, glancing to the source of the voice calling him before, caught a glimpse of bright jade orbs before collapsing into the darkness.

Axel quickly caught the limp body before colliding with the hard pavement below them, panting hard after running around for a while in searching for the blond Nobody. It was silent – and ironically, peaceful – as the lanky man kneeling softly with the smaller boy in his arms, sleeping soundly.

"Roxas…," he whispered. "I found you, finally…." A sad smile. "I promise I'll always find you, whatever happened, to bring you back with me…."

The promise, Axel realized later, was like an unexpected presage.

* * *

Reply for reviewer:

Kurstin: Nope, this is my imagination for what will happen if Xion isn't in the story, and Roxas will awake on the 7th day, just like in the game. Thanks for the review, and keep reading! ^^


	7. Day 6

**Day 6**

"Xemnas wants to meet you."

Like a button being pushed, Roxas opened his eyes widely right when the words finished being said. An amused snort, then a hand ruffled his hair gently. The blond boy shifted his gaze to his right and met a pair of jade eyes and a smile.

"It seems you're in a deep sleep, but whenever I talk to you, you will open your eyes," the redhead that sitting next to him on the bed said. "Is my voice like some alarm for you?"

"You are…," Roxas mumbled, staying still on his bed while his gaze was on the older male. Empty, but less than the day before. Roxas felt dizzy trying to remember who the other Nobody was, but he knew he had seen him before. "…Xemnas…?"

"A-X-E-L," a forced smile and restrained sigh, along with silent question to when the young Nobody would 'awake'. It's tiring, being forgotten again and again. "And Xemnas is our boss-man."

"…boss-man," Roxas repeated tonelessly. He looked at Axel again. "Axel…."

"At your service," deciding that depression wasn't him at all, Axel smirked as he pointed at his own chest. He pulled Roxas until both of them were standing, the shorter Nobody stumbled a bit on his feet. "Now, now, you have to be hurry. Xemnas doesn't like to wait, and it seems he wants to talk something important to you since no one can come with you." Somehow, Axel didn't like Xemnas' command that Roxas had to be alone in meeting him. In some unknown place. Talk about creepy.

"…alone?" Roxas looked up, innocent expression on his face. Axel swore the Keyblade wielder squeezed his hands a bit, as if he didn't want to release it. Pseudo-happiness aside, Axel nodded.

"Don't worry. It won't take long, I think,"the fire commander turned his head, toward a large circular mass of dark purple fog on the corner of the room. "All you have to do is to go through that portal, talk with Xemnas, then you go back here via the same portal. Got it memorized?"

Roxas eyed the dark portal for a while, then nodded. Axel smiled assuringly.

"It's okay. I'll be waiting for you here when you come back, so make sure you do everything fast."

And suddenly, whatever that weightened Roxas' shoulders was vanished after Axel said those words.

* * *

So familiar, yet so foreign….

Right when Roxas stepped out from the dark portal, right on the sandy ground above him, his ears were filled with the sound of rushing water above sands. He felt like he had heard this kind of sound (though he didn't know where or when) but the scene was utterly new. Black stones, grey sands, gloomy sky, and dark water with the only source of light was a far away shining ball across the water… it felt strange. Only the sound he did know…. Or he thought so.

A figure with same black coat like him but with much larger size sat on one of the stone, staring at the calm water in silence. Not knowing what to do, Roxas walked toward the figure, but stopping when a voice talked to him.

"I've been to see him."

Again, a familiar voice, though not so familiar. Roxas was almost sure he had heard that voice at least once, but again, he didn't know where or when he heard it. The figure – the cloaked man – turned to him, but the Keyblade wielder couldn't see his face since the hood covering his face.

"He looks a lot like you," he said again with deep voice.

'_Who…?'_ The young Nobody wanted to ask, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he wondered about the person before him. Was he Xemnas? "Who are you?"

"I'm what's left," the cloaked figure answered as he turned away toward the sea. "Or… maybe I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name," Roxas said again, more fluent in talking second by second. As if… something was awakening inside him….

"My name is of no importance," the other man said, but then he looked at Roxas once again. "What about you? Do you remember your true name?"

'_True name…?_' "My true name is…."

His heart knew, but his tongue couldn't say it. He could only stare at the older Nobody, trying to say his 'true name', but not to avail.

"You have been with us for six days now," the cloaked figure said, not waiting for Roxas to say the name; he knew Roxas would fail to say it. He stood up and took off his hood. "The time has come…."

Roxas looked at him in silence as he walked toward the boy. He was tall; so much taller than the Keyblade wielder. Roxas didn't have any difficulties to lift his face so he could see the other's face, but it was hard. Something inside him didn't want to see the other's face – and didn't need to since he already knew the face, deep inside his heart, but also didn't know what it was like exactly. It was so confusing for him….

Sounds of footsteps on the sand echoed, a tap on his shoulder – soft but not gentle – and a name was being said. As though jolted by electricity, Roxas turned his head to follow the walking figure, away from him.

"Sora."

Familiar. So familiar. It was aching; his chest. Something clenched his chest, painful, but eventhough it was so painful, he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to be called like that again; but he didn't want to as well. Why? He would never know.

Roxas lifted his hand slowly, touching his cheek to find his gloves wet.

"What is this…?"

And then, one sentences replaced his memories of that event.

"_It's okay. I'll be waiting for you here when you come back, so make sure you do everything fast."_

* * *

"You still have to do your mission, Axel."

Wiping away the urge to burn something immediately, Axel sighed exasperatedly. For the love of Nobodies, did Saïx really have to be this noisy? Wait, was he always this noisy? Axel couldn't read the other Nobody as well as before anymore. He changed so much….

"I know, I know; I'll do it immediately after making sure Roxas is back here," the redhead gritted his teeth when the other Nobody opened his mouth, but he was faster. "Superior's wish."

That shut the Luna Diviner up. Not so long though; he started to nag on Demyx who was sitting on one of the couches casually while strumming his Sitar instead of doing his mission. Sighed in relief, Axel sat on the most far couch from where the two arguing Nobodies were. His eyes never left the swirling black fog near the glass-wall, waiting impatiently.

The Grey Room was almost empty – every members was on their missions (except for Demyx) and that relieved Axel. Now, he liked to chat, to be accompanied, to make friends, but he didn't like to do any of that with fellow Nobodies – half of them prevented any emotions to come out, and half of them exaggerated their memories of emotion. That's annoying. Besides, too much trickery. Axel had enough tangling in complicated plans between many parties, and it's very, very tiring.

His mind put in halt when a figure went out from the swirling dark fog near the large window. The fire-user immediately got up from the couch when the figure turned out to be a certain blond boy. Somehow excited, Axel made a bee line to the confused Nobody.

"Heya, Rox," Axel greeted the younger Nobody casually, relieved that Roxas was still like the way he was before, but shocked when he saw a trail of water on his cheeks. "Roxas, were you…." '_Is that possible for a Nobody?_' "…crying?"

"Huh? What?" Roxas looked up, staring at the jade eyes questioningly. His eyes were more alive now, but still vacant. "What did I do?"

'_It seems he doesn't realize that he's crying_,' Axel narrowed his eyes in dislike. "What did Xemnas do to you?"

"Xemnas… did…?" the Keyblader tilted his head, though his eyes never left Axel's ones. "What? I… I met Xemnas…?"

"…just forget it," Axel scratched his back head, uncertainty in his mind. '_Nah, Xemnas won't do anything that would harm him. He is our Key of Destiny; his existence is important for our Organization._' "…well, since you're back already, now it's my turn to do my mission."

"…you'll go?" Again with that (almost) sad expression. Axel couldn't hold his smile back. He ruffled the blond spikes (which were soft, surprisingly) with a chuckle.

"Not for long time," he grinned. "Don't want to make the new kid sad, anyway."

"…new kid?" Roxas asked innocently. If it weren't Roxas, Axel might have lose his patience long time ago.

"You, goof," the redhead poked Roxas' forehead softly. "Now," he dragged the shorter Nobody and pushed him a bit harsh so he was sitting on the white couch – in a bit uncomfortable position. "Be a good boy, and sit here, don't go anywhere, just wait for me, okay?"

Not really understand – Axel was talking too fast! – Roxas nodded hesitantly, his cobalt orbs still stared into Axel's jade ones. Those jade orbs… almost reminded him to something familiar… but, in his mind, it was more aquamarine than jade….

"Great," Axel grinned widely, then gave a salute to the boy, and walked away. After being nagged shortly by Saïx, he vanished into a Darkness Portal. Once again, Roxas felt empty; emptier than before.

After sitting for a while (it was unknown whether he had been sitting there for hours or merely minutes), Roxas' eyes started feeling heavy, and soon his eyes were completely closed. Saïx, who was standing there and watching the young Nobody all the whole time, snorted, then went out from the Grey Room, leaving Roxas behind in the empty room all by himself….

* * *

"When will he awake, Sir?"

"Just be patient, VII. It is almost the time, eventually he will give his usefullness for us."

"But Sir, right now we are just wasting our time this way. Should be a way to make him awake faster…?"

"It is vain to be hurry; it will only damage him. Furthermore, we still have the true Keyblade Hero to serve hearts for us, for Kingdom Hearts…. So it is the best to let him awake by himself."

"…understood."

* * *

"…Rox? Roxas?"

Hearing the voice, and his name being said, Roxas immediately snapped his eyes open. A big shade towered over him, and he lifted his head to meet a familiar jade eyes. Familiar…? Nah, Roxas _knew _this person. Or, no-person….

"Axel…?" he whispered, exercising to say the name correctly. He knew he was correct when he saw that big, wide smile on that face. He liked to see it; honestly, Roxas liked to see Axel's face, but it couldn't be compared when the redhead was smiling so wide like this.

"Finally you got my name!" the taller man beamed. "I think I would cry from happiness!"

"Deceitful, Axel. We can not cry, neither is being happy."

Both of them turned toward the mocking tone, and saw three figures in the previously empty room. The first figure – the one who talked before – was a tall, a bit old man with long, straight pale blond hair. On his right side was a taller and bigger man with curly ginger hair, and this man had terrifying burly body – his biceps were as big as Roxas' waist! On his other side, was a much shorter young man. His slate hair was covering the right side of his face, his indigo eye was staring at Roxas coldly but full of attention. Three of them were wearing the same coat like Roxas' and Axel's. The blond old man was sneering toward Axel.

"Don't teach the neophyte some misguided knowledge!" he said with shrilly voice and arrogant tone. Roxas didn't really like him; whether his voice, his face, or even his way of standing and looking at them. Axel snorted in distasteful.

"What do you want, old man?" he said annoyedly as he looked at his leather-coated fingers, as if his fingers were more interesting than the other Nobody.

"Insolent latecomer!" the blond Nobody yelled harshly, but Axel didn't even flinch. The older man was about to open his mouth again when he caught a confused, though intense, stare from a pair of cobalt eyes. Those eyes… were so similar with….

"No need to hurt Roxas' ears with your ugly voice, Vexen," Axel mocked. "Besides, we have more important thing to do, unlike you. So, shall we, Roxas?"

Despite the overflowing confusion (Who were those guys? Should what? Why did that old man with annoying voice keep yelling at Axel? What did they want?), the youngest Nobody only nodded, and followed Axel went out from that room, leaving the fuming blond with his comrades to calm him.

Roxas took a last glance toward the screaming Nobody.

'_Why is he making such face toward me…?'_

"Don't mind Vexen. He is just some noisy old man you should ignore," Axel shrugged after they arrived at a pretty spacious greyish white hall. They were standing on top of glass floor that had stairways at the end, going down. The redhead lifted his hand and created a portal. "Let's go out, shouldn't we? It's becoming too stuffy in here."

Roxas nodded,though not feeling anything, and went into the portal side by side with the taller Nobody.

After going through the portal, they were arrived on top of a building in the Dark City. Cold, but no wind. Dark, but no star. There were lights from the buildings, but no life. Blue eyes scanned through the place – tall buildings, beautiful lights, but empty – and somehow the scene was like him. Empty, not even sorrowful. It was there without meaning. Maybe it should never be there from the start….

"It's much better here," Axel inhaled a big amount of air, relieved. The castle always burdened him. "Don't you think?"

But the only answer he got was a summoned Keyblade. Startled, the Flurry of Dancing Flame stared at the other Nobody with wide eyes. A white Keyblade, with wing-shaped handle was inside Roxas' grip, shining lightly in the darkness. It's so pretty, almost terrifying Axel.

'_He can summon his Keyblade already?_' the redhead was shocked. "Keyblade? Why did you summon it, Roxas?"

"They…," Roxas whispered tonelessly. He lifted his head slowly, turning around as he directed to something in darkness behind them. Suddenly, a white being – white body with some kind of grey armors on head, hands, and legs – appeared there, lifting two silver swords toward Roxas. Behind the being, there were appearing a lot more of the same being, watching with covered eyes between the first being and Roxas. Axel's eyes widened again, full in surprise. "…challenge me."

'_Samurai?_' Axel exclaimed, his surprise never ceased. He watched how Roxas stepped slowly toward the opposing Samurai while still guarding with his Keyblade. '_Those arrogant, passive Samurai attacking Roxas? What the hell? They don't even follow every command we, other Nobodies, give! And now they are challenging Roxas?_'

Silence. Thick, heavy silence that didn't end so soon. Roxas kept staring toward the Samurai with sharp eyes, not moving his body or his Keyblade at all. On the other side, the Samurai didn't move at all as well, as if both of them were waiting the right time to attack their opponent. One deadly attack at once.

'_How does Roxas know how to fight them?_' the redhead watcher contemplated the scene before him. He didn't want to interrupt them; rather, he was curious what would happen. Besides, it's rare to see the high-ranked Nobodies appeared to challenge someone – they were calm and reserved, usually. '_Samurai were usually waiting for their opponent's opening to attack, not blindly attacking. They fight with grace and patience; how Roxas knows about that? Don't tell me… he fights like that as well?_'

As on cue, when one of the Samurai on the back shifted its body, making his swords that hanging on his back clanking together, Roxas and the first Samurai attacked each other with inredible speed.

The blond Nobody swung his Keyblade in full power toward the Samurai's crossed swords, effectively making the lesser Nobody staggered, and Roxas used the chance to kick the Nobody until it fell; ready for receiving the other Samurai's immediate attack.

It was dangerous; a lot of Samurai made a big circle around Roxas, and each one of them attacked Roxas repeatedly, though he could defect all of their attacks, causing many swords were flying around and strewn over the floor of the building's top. Clanking sounds, soft grunts from Roxas, and scratching sounds later, all of the Samurai weren't holding any swords. Roxas was succeeding in hit them back without really hurting them. And Axel was beyond amazed with this.

Panting, Roxas directed his Keyblade toward the Samurai again. "…not satisfied yet?"

They didn't answer, but slowly, they got on their right knee, their head bowing deeply toward Roxas in solemn respect. Seeing this, Roxas lowered his Keyblade in confusion. Axel clapped his hands, smirking as he walked toward Roxas.

"Congrats, Rox," he said as he tapped his blond comrade. "You just defeated one of most powerful lesser Nobodies, and now they want you as their master."

Averting from jade eyes, Roxas stared at the bowing Nobodies in front of him.

"_Be our liege, the One with the Light. We shall obey only you, and your mighty, but wise power."_

* * *

"It seems XIII has awakened, Superior."

"I know. I felt a great power from the Dark City a while ago. But do tell me, what reason to make you said that, VII."

"VIII reported it to me, Superior. XIII could summon his Keyblade."

"Excellent, as expected from our Keyblade Hero. He can start working for us soon."

"…one more thing, Sir. It seems that XIII had a battle with Samurai as well, and he could defeat them, from VIII's report. And so… he is the master of Samurai now, by their own wish."

"I see…. Such great power, to be able controlling the powerful lesser Nobodies…. Watch him closely, VII. Don't let him doing anything that against our Organization. And not only him, but the other members as well."

"Understood, Sir."


End file.
